


universe

by freedomphoenix



Series: Pooh Prompts [1]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, galaxy, lost space boy Shoma, sad human Yuzuru, space-time travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-05-03 23:00:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14579505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freedomphoenix/pseuds/freedomphoenix
Summary: u·ni·verseˈyo͞onəˌvərsnounall existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmosAlternatively how lost space boy Shoma changes Yuzuru's world.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So before you ask me why I'm crazy enough to start something else, I have been working on this piece as I work on everything else. I always seem to have ideas floating around, these two give me a LOT of ideas.
> 
> I plan on doing different stand-alone stories all based off of Winnie-the-Pooh quotes because they're oddly deep lol
> 
> Also just lost Shoma, in general, is perfection

_“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”_

_—_ Winnie-the-Pooh

The moment Yuzuru glanced over at Shoma he knew this memory would be burned into his mind, into his very heart for all of eternity. Shoma hands upwards, fingertips pointed toward the sky, palms eye level, cradling a sliver of the universe. His hands flutter out, ever so slightly, expanding and focusing on a specific portion of a galaxy never seen before by humankind. A deluge of colors swirl around him—hazy greens, soft purples, vibrant blues, vivid pinks, specks of yellow—all juxtaposed on an expanse of black. The brilliance of the galaxy seems to swallow Shoma whole before it settles ever so subtly over his body, no longer overwhelming, but very much there. Shoma would glance over at Yuzuru, eyes crinkling, cheeks pulling into a genuine, wide smile. It would register that Shoma was gazing at him as if he were more valuable than the universe he held in the palm of his hands. As if Yuzuru were more valuable than the place Shoma called home.

* * *

Yuzuru peered over the railing of his apartment building, the crushing loneliness seemed to hit him in full force. The blinking city lights, cars rushing by underneath, the sheer amount of black suits wandering by, drunk, alone, and just as lost as he was; all of it seemed so distant. He looked up at the stars, obscured by the neon lights, earning a cynical laugh from Yuzuru. Even the stars were clouded by the rushing, busy life of Tokyo. As he continued to stare at the sky in vain, the desperation for life to slow down, to have meaning, settled on his shoulders, a heavy, burdensome weight. Maybe it was time to go home again. To be somewhere where he felt like he wasn’t just another number, where his family was–

His family, they didn’t want to see Yuzuru anymore. Yuzuru wasn’t allowed to come home. They would pay for his education, his housing, anything he wanted, just as long as he stayed away from home.

What could even be considered home?

His apartment was just a place where he could sleep and eat. Sendai was a once familiar place—now a distant memory—where all of his loved ones were before he disgraced his family by–

Yuzuru entered his apartment, sliding the screen door shut along with his overactive mind. His apartment was meticulous. Every object had its place and was cleaned almost obsessively. It was almost impossible to tell someone lived there. Some part of him felt as if cleaning was the only thing he could truly control in his life.

Yuzuru kept the lights off, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness of his apartment. He found his way to his bedroom and promptly collapsed on his bed. It would be better to lay on his bed, desperately wishing for sleep rather than going through the motions. He would end up awake for hours, counting sheep, willing his thoughts away. He’d eventually give up on sleep in an hour or so. Yuzuru would find himself wandering back out to the balcony to gaze at the night sky, hoping for a restful night. Yuzuru closed his eyes, wishing for the sweet release of rest. A soft knocking from Yuzuru’s balcony disturbed him from his pitiful attempt. Yuzuru sat up, confused.

Yuzuru entered the living room and heard the knock again, it really was coming from the direction of his balcony. He looked over at his balcony to find a short, curly-haired, wide-eyed kid. He slid open the door and just stared at him. How the hell did a teenager scale his apartment building and have the brilliant idea to just plop onto his balcony?

“Um hi, I’m a little lost,” said the kid. His voice was sweet, almost a little shy. The kid looked down, the bottom of his face was red. He was embarrassed. Interesting. So he wasn’t getting robbed in the middle of the night. And if his apartment was actually getting broken into, they had chosen the most unassuming kid for the task. Always send the ones that look the least dangerous, that’s how they get you.

“Is there a reason you’re on my balcony?” asked Yuzuru.

“I think I space-time traveled wrong,” said the kid.

“You what?”

“Space-time traveled?” said the kid looking at Yuzuru like he was strange. Yuzuru scanned the kid’s face for a hint that he was joking. Nothing, the kid’s face was blank. So he was either really good at lying or genuinely telling the truth.

“What exactly is ‘space-time travel’?” asked Yuzuru incredulously.

“You know galaxy hopping? Sometimes there is time-bending stuff? But you have to get a permit for that, you know don’t want to mess up other worlds’ space-time continuum, so just usually galaxy hopping,” said the kid. He seemed so sure of himself that Yuzuru thought he was going crazy. Had his sleepless nights finally gotten to him? Had he imagined someone who could travel through space and time to entertain himself?

“I’m sorry what exactly are you talking about?” asked Yuzuru, truly confused.

“Can you understand this?” asked the kid opening his mouth and a bunch of melodic notes came out. It sounded absolutely beautiful but Yuzuru could not understand even a portion of what he had said. Yuzuru looked at the kid even more confused.

“Sorry, that just sounded like a bunch of musical notes?”

“Oh my–I’ve landed on Earth. So you probably think I’m crazy now. My name is Shoma, I’m from another galaxy. Earth hasn’t come far enough to space-time travel,” said Shoma matter-of-factly. “Uh, I’m technically supposed to erase your memories for telling you that but I’m kind of in a bind.”

“Wait, do you expect me to just believe you?”

“I can show you some proof if you step out onto your balcony?” said Shoma. Yuzuru stepped out onto his balcony. If this kid was going to mug him at least his neighbors would hear him scream. Shoma’s hand extended and for a brief moment, the night sky above them appeared to gather in his outstretched palm. Yuzuru watched in wonder, the stars in the palm of his hand looked very much real. The city lights didn’t obscure the beauty of the stars while Shoma held them. Yuzuru stands closer to get a better look before Shoma’s hand shuts closed quickly, the stars disappearing into his palm. “Sorry, that was awful.”

“No,” said Yuzuru in wonder, “that was amazing”.

“Thanks,” said Shoma bashfully, “but in comparison to what I usually do that was embarrassing.”

“You said you were in a bind. If you can do that then why exactly are you in a bind?” asked Yuzuru.

“I’m not supposed to be here.”

“What do you mean?” asked Yuzuru.

“People like me aren’t supposed to come to Earth, it’s a violation of the rules,” said Shoma. “Our abilities don’t work the same here either.”

“So you can’t go home? Aren’t your parents going to be worried?” asked Yuzuru.

“Not really, I’m…20 I think. If I converted my time to your time correctly.”

“You’re 20?” exclaimed Yuzuru. “You look like you’re 13, is this because you came from somewhere else?”

“Uh, no I just look like this. I look young where I’m from too,” said Shoma tilting his head to the side. “Could I come in? I feel like we might wake your neighbors up if we keep talking on the balcony.”

“Please come in,” said Yuzuru, inviting the stranger into his home.

“Please excuse me,” said Shoma removing his shoes.

“You’re oddly Japanese for someone not from here.”

“Where I’m from is similar to your Japan, kind of parallel in a way. At least some of the customs,” said Shoma hovering awkwardly by the door to Yuzuru’s balcony.

“Please, sit down.  Warm yourself under the kotatsu,” offered Yuzuru, turning the light on and gesturing to his kotatsu. “Would you like anything to drink?”

“I’m okay, thank you for offering though. Also, thank you for allowing me in your home. I must sound and look crazy,” said Shoma.

“Someone with a cute face like yours could probably never harm a fly,” said Yuzuru. Yuzuru grinned as Shoma’s face turned red. Now that he took a better look at Shoma in the light it was more obvious he was around 20. He had a sharper jawline than Yuzuru would ever have and was relatively well built from what Yuzuru could see under his loose clothing. He was actually quite attractive. Yuzuru stopped his train of thought, he literally just met the young man and here he was already sizing him up. Shoma tilted his head to the side, immediately making Yuzuru’s heart clench, he was adorable.

“Can I ask your name?” asked Shoma shyly.

Yuzuru laughed, of course, Shoma gave him his name and he forgot to give his own, “Hanyu Yuzuru,” said Yuzuru.

“Thank you for letting me in Hanyu-san,” said Shoma, concentrating very hard to get his formal wording just right.

“Just call me Yuzuru,” said Yuzuru, unsure why he was being so casual with a strange young man from space.

“Are you sure? I studied Japanese language and can use keigo,” said Shoma. Hearing Shoma talk made Yuzuru realize he truly wasn’t Japanese. There was a musical lilt to his voice; it must have been a result of his native tongue.

“Really, it’s fine. How do you plan on getting home?” asked Yuzuru.

“I need time to gather strength and then I can transport myself home again,” said Shoma. “If I contact Mihoko I might get in trouble.” Shoma scrunched his nose adorably at that.

“You can stay with me if you want,” said Yuzuru. Where did Yuzuru suddenly get the brilliant idea that he would house some strange young man? Yuzuru shrugged his shoulders, it wouldn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t like anyone else lived with him. Most of his friends didn’t care enough to visit his house anyway. His family would never want to step foot in his apartment until he “fixed” himself either.

“Are you sure?” asked Shoma, his eyes lighting up.

“Of course,” said Yuzuru, he felt his heart warm up a little. Maybe having someone else in his house would make his life a little less monotonous.

“I’m a slob, I only eat meat, and I’m always sleepy,” said Shoma. Yuzuru admired the young man’s honesty. “I’ll try really hard to fix that though.” Shoma looked down at his hands, embarrassed.

Normal Yuzuru would have probably kicked Shoma out immediately, not wanting a roommate that would destroy the orderliness of his life. But some crazy part of him just laughed and told the young man, “We’ll make it work. You’ll have to pick up some cleaning habits and eat at least some vegetables. I don’t really care if you sleep all the time. I have to go to University anyway.”

“Okay,” said Shoma, nodding. Yuzuru reached across the table to ruffle Shoma’s hair before he realized what he was doing. Shoma blushed and allowed Yuzuru to ruffle his hair.

“I’ll get the futon for you,” said Yuzuru standing up suddenly. He needed to still his beating heart.

“Do you need help with that?” asked Shoma. Yuzuru just shook his head and quickly made his way to his room to grab the futon. How in the hell was he already forming feelings? He hadn’t felt his heart pulse like this since Javier. Yuzuru grimaced at that, having feelings for the Spanish exchange student was a memory he desperately wanted to go away. The man was sweet enough to reject him and still be his friend, but it was still a tender spot. Especially because he ended up dating the senior Miki Ando not too long after. Yuzuru returned to the living room to find Shoma, head down on the table, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. Yuzuru could only wish he would be able to sleep like Shoma did. He sets up the futon quietly before gently shaking Shoma awake.

“Shoma, I set up the futon for you,” said Yuzuru. Shoma’s eyes blinked open tiredly and Yuzuru had to control the smile breaking out across his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry for falling asleep. I should’ve helped you,” said Shoma rubbing his eyes.

“It’s fine, you can lay down now. I might be gone tomorrow morning but feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge.”

“Thank you,” said Shoma bowing. He sleepily extracts himself from the kotatsu before collapsing under the covers. “Thank you Yuzu,” said Shoma, half-awake. Yuzuru felt his own cheeks warm at the nickname. Shoma was already growing on him and he had only known him for half-an-hour. Yuzuru entered his bedroom and actually properly tucked himself in. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was fast asleep.

* * *

Yuzuru woke up well rested for once, he entered the living room to find his strange guest still fast asleep. So it really wasn’t a dream he had, he met a strange young man from space. Yuzuru finishes his daily routine and writes a quick note for Shoma. He had given the young man a set of keys for his apartment and figured if Shoma could scale his apartment building he would be able to figure out his way around the city. Yuzuru took one last glance at Shoma, fast asleep before shutting his door with a smile.

* * *

“You look well rested Yuzu,” said Javier. He was sipping his morning coffee, laid back and comfortable as ever. Yuzuru had long ago given up his feelings but Javier’s attractiveness early in the morning made Yuzuru slightly upset. How could someone look so attractive when the day was just getting started.

“I finally able sleep well,” said Yuzuru.

“Did you finally take some medicine?” asked Javier. Yuzuru had told Javier about his sleeping problem and the man suggested taking some sleeping medication. Yuzuru did not like the idea of using medication to induce sleep. It was unnatural.

Yuzuru shook his head, “I just was able to sleep right.” Yuzuru didn’t quite know how to explain to Javier that he had met some young man from space and was able to sleep well because of it.

* * *

Yuzuru pushed the door to his apartment open and found his apartment relatively the same as when he left it. Shoma had folded the futon and the blanket as neatly as he could and piled it in the corner along with his pillow. There was a cup of vegetable juice Yuzuru didn’t realize he had next to Shoma. The young man was sprawled on his couch playing Yuzuru’s games. He didn’t even realize Shoma could understand his game console. Shoma was so absorbed in his game that he didn’t realize Yuzuru arrived home. Yuzuru glanced at the screen and almost dropped his stuff in shock. Shoma had not only beat the level Yuzuru was stuck on but almost doubled his best score. “Wow did you game all day Shoma?” asked Yuzuru. Shoma paused the game and looked over at Yuzuru. He awkwardly placed the console down and bowed politely.

“Welcome home,” said Shoma. “I played a little bit after I got home from the convenience store.”

“I’m home,” said Yuzuru with a smile. He had someone to greet at home now. “A little bit?” asked Yuzuru sitting next to Shoma on the couch.

“It’s a new file, I didn’t want to destroy your progress,” said Shoma.

“You already passed my save file anyway,” said Yuzuru. “Do you have games like this where you’re from?”

“More complex than this,” said Shoma. Yuzuru raised his eyebrow at that.

“Really?”

“Mhm,” said Shoma, nodding his head. “I’m sorry for playing without asking.”

“It’s fine, you’re living with me now, whatever I have you can use. I don’t know why I didn’t leave you with something else to do, my apartment is kind of empty.”

“Thank you. Your apartment is fine. I left to buy some vegetable juice, I drink my vegetables,” said Shoma holding up the cup.

“That’s interesting,” said Yuzuru peering at the cup. He liked vegetables in their solid form, not in some weird blended concoction, but to each their own. “You have money?”

“I have something that carries the different currencies of various worlds. I used it to get yen, like your credit cards,” said Shoma. “I’m not really supposed to show it to people though.”

“That’s fine,” said Yuzuru. “As long as you don’t end up using all of my money,” said Yuzuru jokingly.

“I would never do that to someone,” said Shoma, his eyes widened in horror. “Especially because you’ve been so kind to let me stay here. If I ever take up space or use too many of your resources I can leave.”

“Shoma, Shoma I was joking,” said Yuzuru. Shoma’s shoulders relax but he still looked flustered, “I promise, it’s okay. I don’t pay for anything anyway My parents do.”

“Oh,” said Shoma softly. “Then I should pay your parents when I leave.” Yuzuru felt his heart clench at the mention of leaving. The thought of Shoma paying his parents anything left a bad taste in his mouth.

“No, it’s okay. My parents and I have an agreement,” said Yuzuru stiffly. Shoma took a look at Yuzuru, gauging his mood before nodding. He knew not to push.

“Do you want me to turn the TV off now?” asked Shoma.

“No, go ahead and finish. I’ll do some work while you play,” said Yuzuru. He set up his computer on the kotatsu. The sound of the video game and Shoma’s fingers clicking away made Yuzuru smile. Having someone else in the room with him while he worked made it a little less lonely.

* * *

“Shoma? What do you want to eat for dinner?” asked Yuzuru. Shoma had turned off the TV and switched to gaming on Yuzuru’s Switch. Shoma had fallen asleep, Switch on his stomach, shirt riding up just enough for Yuzuru to see a portion of Shoma’s tummy. Yuzuru unconsciously licked his lips before mentally slapping himself. “Shoma,” said Yuzuru once more poking Shoma. Shoma finally opened his eyes and turned looked over at Yuzuru.

“Did you finish your work?”

“Mhm, what do you want for dinner?”

“Meat,” said Shoma.

“How does shabu-shabu sound? Do you have that where you’re from?” asked Yuzuru.

“Oh! I love shabu-shabu,” said Shoma, his eyes instantly lighting up. “Can we really have it for dinner?” Yuzuru felt his heart beat a little faster.

“Sure, but you have to come with me grocery shopping,” said Yuzuru.

“Of course,” said Shoma, sitting up instantly. Yuzuru giggled at Shoma’s enthusiasm.

“Also, were you okay going to the convenience store, you weren’t cold?” asked Yuzuru taking in Shoma’s attire.

“It was a bit cold, but I was in and out,” said Shoma.

“You need at least a jacket,” said Yuzuru. He went to his room to and dig through his closet, finding a jacket that was a bit too small for him. He handed it to Shoma who accepted it gratefully. He slipped it on over his clothes and Yuzuru laughed loudly at the sight. Shoma looked a bit like he was drowning. Shoma pouted slightly before rolling up his sleeves.

“I’m a little too small for everything,” said Shoma.

“It’s okay, I like seeing you drown in my clothes,” said Yuzuru with a bright smile. “Do you want to buy anything else while we’re out?”

“Clothes? Maybe shampoo and a toothbrush?” said Shoma.

“I have shampoo and a toothbrush for you. I also have a hairbrush and other basic toiletries if you need. But I don’t know if you need anything for your curls in particular or some particular toiletry? Also, don’t worry about clothes, just use mine,” said Yuzuru.

“Oh I can always just buy my own,” said Shoma.

“No, no it’s okay, I swear,” said Yuzuru. “I buy everything in bulk and on sale so I have a lot of everything.”

“Thank you so much,” said Shoma.

“Of course,” said Yuzuru grinning at Shoma. “Now let’s go get some food!”

* * *

“Shoma, over here,” said Yuzuru, urging Shoma away from the meat section. Shoma followed him obediently to the middle of the dried foods aisle. Yuzuru and Shoma had picked up most of the items for their shabu-shabu, leaving Shoma to choose the meat. Shoma returned with the package of meat, placing it in their cart.

“Do we need anything else?” asked Shoma looking up at Yuzuru. Yuzuru had put his finger to his lips to indicate for Shoma to be quiet. Shoma tilted his head at Yuzuru questioningly. Yuzuru just shook his head, looking intently at the meat section behind Shoma. Shoma turned around to face the meat aisle he was in just seconds ago to see a Spanish man and Japanese woman pushing a cart with a child. They choose their meat and bypass the section Yuzuru and Shoma were hiding in.

“Sorry, someone I didn’t want to talk to today,” said Yuzuru.

“Who was that?”

“Uh, someone that I–” Yuzuru’s cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment. He didn’t quite know why he avoided Javier. But something told him it was important to keep Shoma to himself, to keep him from meeting as many people as possible.

“Are you hiding me from your friends?” asked Shoma, there was no accusation in his tone, just curiosity.

“No–” Yuzuru stopped, he didn’t want to lie to him, “yes? I feel like I need to make sure you run into as little people as possible.”

Shoma’s eyes softened to understanding, “If I didn’t know you were human, I’d almost think you were from my home planet.”

“Why is that?” asked Yuzuru.

“The number one rule for a space-time traveler is to cause as little damage to the space-time continuum as possible. Especially on planets like Earth. That means running into as little life as possible and wiping memories of those you run into.”

“Oh,” said Yuzuru softly. That means all of his memories with Shoma would be erased eventually. He didn’t know how to feel about that.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t painful,” said Shoma. “That’s probably not reassuring at all,” said Shoma biting his lip. Yuzuru shook his head, he reached out and ruffled Shoma’s hair.

“It’s fine, you’re giving my life a little color anyway, even if I don’t remember it at least it has been interesting.”

“You’re really too nice,” said Shoma in awe. Yuzuru just laughed at that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Yuzuru's entire family is amazing but for plot sake...
> 
>  
> 
> [Shoma doing some galaxy stuff](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/12/6c/99/126c99507aacb2f2209ef31ced440d9f.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliched romance, what is there not to love?  
> [Sweater Paws](https://sportymags.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/img_54251.jpg)
> 
> I didn't re-read as closely as I should because I'm a lazy butt. All my stories are un-betaed so I do my best to catch what I can.

“Shoma can you chop the vegetables?” asked Yuzuru. Shoma looked at him, eyes wide. Yuzuru immediately could discern that Shoma had absolutely no idea how to cut vegetables.

“Yes,” said Shoma, he gripped the knife awkwardly and Yuzuru laughed. His confusion was absolutely adorable.

“Here, I’ll cut the vegetables, you make the sauces,” said Yuzuru. Shoma nodded and grabbed the various bottles and began to mix them in various bowls.

“Wow, you know how to mix the sauces?” asked Yuzuru, peering over at Shoma mixing the sauces like a pro.

“I help my mother with the sauces since I can’t really help with anything else.”

“You can space-time travel but you can’t cut vegetables,” said Yuzuru.

“You don’t need to know how to cut vegetables in order to travel through space,” said Shoma.

“Eating only meat doesn’t sound healthy,” said Yuzuru.

Shoma just laughs, “A lot of my habits aren’t healthy but I’m still kicking.

“Well, at least if you’re staying with me I can try to convince you to like vegetables.” A large part of Yuzuru wanted to take care of Shoma.

“Good luck with that.”

* * *

“That was a lot of food,” said Shoma, leaning back, full. “Thank you for the meal.” They were both comfortably situated underneath the kotatsu, too full to move. Yuzuru hadn’t eaten that much food in a while. It was kind of satisfying to eat a really large meal once in a while. Eating it with someone else reminded him of meals at home.

“Mhm, I haven’t eaten that much in a while,” said Yuzuru.

“Neither have I, eating is a hassle,” said Shoma.

“Do you just starve when you travel to different galaxies?” asked Yuzuru.

“Starving is a word. I just eat when I remember to,” said Shoma.

“That sounds scary,” said Yuzuru. The idea of not having three meals a day worries Yuzuru’s control freak side. Especially someone so cute and small as Shoma.

“It’s okay, there are scarier things out there,” said Shoma.

“Really?” asked Yuzuru, curious.

“Mhm, but that’s confidential,” said Shoma. “Tell me about what life is like on Earth for you instead.” Shoma focused his attention on Yuzuru, intent on hearing what he had to share.

“Why? My life is much more boring in comparison to what you’ve probably seen out there.” The idea of space-time travel seemed so much better than living on Earth.

“Well, we learn about Earth from textbooks. It’s not really the same,” said Shoma.

“What do you mean it’s not the same?”

“I don’t know people are just different, like,” Shoma pauses for a second, thinking. “Are all humans always as amazing as you?”

Yuzuru turned bright red, stunned at Shoma’s straightforwardness, “What?”

“Ah, was that weird? I’ve been told I’m a little too direct sometimes,” said Shoma, tilting his head to the side. He bit his lip and Yuzuru realized how chapped Shoma’s lips were. What would it feel like to kiss them?

Yuzuru scrambled to arrange his thoughts properly, “Yes a little weird? But–I–uh thanks,” Yuzuru stuttered, his own words locked up inside him. He was flustered.

“Sorry,” said Shoma, his own cheeks turning red. “I just thought you were really amazing for allowing me to stay with you and you’ve been so kind. I’ve heard that humans tend to be awful? They don’t like things that are different.”

“You aren’t wrong,” said Yuzuru, bitter. The homophobic slurs were thrown at him by people he thought he knew and loved, proved that humans could be awful. Yuzuru knew deep down that they loved him, but they didn’t understand how their filial, perfect son could be a "deviant."

“What do you mean?” asked Shoma.

“I think you’re one of the few people who think I’m amazing,” said Yuzuru.

“Not your family?” asked Shoma, tilting his head, confused.

“They did,” said Yuzuru softly. Shoma reached out for Yuzuru’s hand, squeezing it gently. Yuzuru felt a part of his heart seize up, he had kept everything bottle up for so long. “Society can be very mean,” said Yuzuru vaguely, Shoma just nodded, he turned his wide, warm eyes to Yuzuru, soft and understanding.

 _“You deserve the universe and you don’t even see it,”_ Shoma spoke in his native tongue, melody flowing off his tongue like honey. Yuzuru felt his heart flutter, picking up on the tenderness in Shoma’s tone and facial expression.

“What did you say?” asked Yuzuru.

Shoma shook his head, “Nothing important, it just slipped out. I occasionally switch back unconsciously." Shoma reached for Yuzuru's hand across the table, "You know, sometimes the most amazing people are not given the appreciation they deserve. People are sometimes slow to realize how wonderful the things in front of them are,” said Shoma. Shoma's hand gently reached for Yuzuru's face, wiping away the tears Yuzuru didn’t even know were coming from his eyes.

"I don't know why I'm crying," said Yuzuru.

“Let’s go outside,” said Shoma suddenly. "Let's clear your head and put some good thoughts in there."

“Outside? Now?”

“Just trust me,” said Shoma. "Fresh air does good things for sad thoughts."

“But the dishes and I have class tomorrow. Don’t you need to sleep?” asked Yuzuru, worried.

“Come on, live a little,” said Shoma. He stood up and put on Yuzuru’s jacket, tossing Yuzuru the jacket he had worn earlier. Yuzuru sighed and pulled on his jacket, following Shoma out the door obediently. It wasn’t like he was going to sleep anyway, he could take care of the mess they left at home when they got back later.

“Where are we going?” asked Yuzuru as he followed Shoma who seemed oddly comfortable with his surroundings.

“It’s a surprise?” said Shoma tilting his head adorably back at Yuzuru.

“How do you know your way around here?” asked Yuzuru.

“My super special powers,” said Shoma.

“Really?” asked Yuzuru, surprised.

“No, GPS, your technology is pretty intuitive,” said Shoma holding up a phone of his own.

“Since when did you have a cell phone?” asked Yuzuru.

“Ah, that’s the word, a ‘cell phone.’ I have a communication device that can transform into whichever device or method a galaxy is using to communicate. It changes based on planets too,” said Shoma. “Can’t exactly tell you how that works but it’s pretty convenient.”

Yuzuru stopped, suddenly deciding to pay attention to his surroundings. Shoma had taken him to a nearby park that was less known but nevertheless had a beautiful view of the blooming sakura. Yuzuru gazed at them in wonder, amazed at how beautiful the sakura looked at night. The petals danced in the wind, illuminated by the moon. The hustle and bustle of the city faded away. Yuzuru felt content.

Shoma paused his walking, smiling as Yuzuru gazed at the sakura. Shoma subtly manipulated space with his hands, he had rested enough to be able to at least show Yuzuru more of the galaxy Yuzuru lived in. Yuzuru happened to glance over at Shoma and watched in wonder as Shoma threw a ball of stars up and gracefully expanded them with the lightest flutter of his palms to give Yuzuru a view of the Milky Way Galaxy. Yuzuru was speechless, the stars had never been so close. He walked up to the swirling purples and pinks and watched in wonder as they magnified closer and closer. “Are you the one doing this?”

“Mhm,” said Shoma, watching Yuzuru contentedly. His hands fluttered again and the sakura trees were juxtaposed against the Milky Way. The scenery before him was otherworldly. The sakura trees were a part of the stars—two very beautiful things sharing space for just a brief moment in time—Yuzuru felt as if his breath was taken away.

“Amazing,” said Yuzuru, he turned to Shoma with shining eyes. “This is beautiful.”

 _“You’re beautiful,”_ sang Shoma. He waved his fingers and the galaxy formed a cloak around Yuzuru. For a brief moment, Yuzuru felt as if he was a part of the stars. The swirls of color, the sheer power, and beauty that each of the parts of the galaxy had. It was overwhelmingly gorgeous, he had never seen anything like this before. Shoma grinned, pleased that he had enough power to make Yuzuru happy. Shoma moved his hands once more, the galaxy dancing away from Yuzuru to Shoma's outstretched palm. The galaxy gathered rapidly into a tight ball before dissipating in a small multi-colored burst.

Shoma panted heavily, he had overexerted himself. It appeared that Earth took a heavier toll than he had initially thought. He needed to rest more before he attempted anything of that scale again. “Are you okay?” asked Yuzuru, worried rushing to Shoma’s side.

“It is difficult for me to use my power here, but don’t worry,” said Shoma, “it was worth it. I wanted to show this to you. It’s the least I could do,” Yuzuru felt his cheeks heat up. There was an odd mix of guilt and appreciation for Shoma’s actions.

“Even if you think people don’t accept you for who you are,” said Shoma suddenly. “Know that there will always be someone who will.” Shoma gently placed a hand on Yuzuru’s face, “Whoever you love doesn’t matter, you’re still Yuzuru.” Yuzuru felt as if a dam had broken, he didn’t even know how Shoma knew but hearing someone tell him that he was still Yuzuru, even if he was gay, felt like a huge relief. Shoma embraced Yuzuru as he cried; Yuzuru had to bend his body to be able to rest his head on Shoma’s shoulder. At the moment it didn’t matter, it felt nice to be held and comforted, to be reminded that someone cared enough to tell him that they were okay with him. That he was still Yuzuru. That if his sexuality was different it didn’t change the way someone saw him.

“No one has ever told me that,” said Yuzuru.

“I’m sorry,” said Shoma sadly.

“For what?”

“That someone as wonderful as you had to hear it from someone not even from your world,” said Shoma. “You deserve to know that you are worthy no matter who you love.”

“Thank you Shoma,” said Yuzuru. Shoma used his sleeves to wipe the tears from Yuzuru’s eyes.

“Of course Yuzu,” said Shoma. Yuzuru smiles at the nickname. Yuzuru straightens his body, wiping his tears.

“How’d you know?”

“That you liked men?”

“Yeah,” said Yuzuru. It was a relief to hear it from someone else’s mouth without any disgust, to know that someone found his preference normal.

“I just knew? I mean I guessed but your wording earlier when you were talking about society?” Shoma paused. “You had a crush on that man from before, at the grocery store.”

“You could tell I used to like him?” asked Yuzuru, surprised.

“There are multiple reasons to avoid someone,” said Shoma simply. “I figured the reason you gave me wasn’t the whole reason.”

“You’re pretty sharp,” said Yuzuru.

“I’m just quiet,” said Shoma.

Yuzuru poked Shoma’s forehead, “There’s a high functioning brain up there that you hide behind your sleepy demeanor.”

“You’ve caught me,” giggled Shoma, “I don’t think you give all those video games I do enough credit.”

“Are you telling me you’ve played so many games that it has improved your deductive reasoning skills?”

“Maybe?” Shoma said.

Yuzuru wrapped an arm around Shoma’s shoulders, “You’re ridiculous.”

Shoma was quiet for a second, thinking, “I'm bisexual, I think the word is bisexual? I like both,” said Shoma. “Wait, pansexual because I’ve been with people who don’t really have genders? Your labels are confusing. I think that vocabulary is more common in the West? My grasp of all the human languages isn’t the best. They kind of blend into one sometimes. I kind of wish I studied harder.”

“Oh,” said Yuzuru releasing a breath. “So you’re like me.”

“I guess so?” said Shoma. He wrapped an arm around Yuzuru’s waist. Yuzuru felt his body warm up instantly, “Is this okay?”

“Yes, this is fine,” said Yuzuru hiding his reddening cheeks with his hand. Yuzuru felt like he was a teenager again. Yuzuru finally processed what Shoma had said about the languages he spoke, “Wait you’ve studied all the languages on Earth?”

“Mhm, it’s required that we learn hundreds of thousands of languages,” said Shoma. “Our brains are wired slightly differently, that’s what science says. That’s the word people from Earth use right? Science says that beings like me have a vast capacity to memorize things.”

“So basically your race is smarter than all the humans on Earth,” said Yuzuru.

“I mean, just because you memorize things it doesn’t mean you’re smart; it depends on what you do with it. I was stunningly average in school.”

“But still everything you’ve done is way more advanced than anything some of the most brilliant scientists have done,” said Yuzuru.

“That comparison isn’t exactly fair. If I have your history and science correct think of it like this: my race has survived at least a hundred mass extinctions including relocations to multiple planets and even a couple of galaxies. We’ve had the chance to evolve and learn.”

“You’re super old then,” said Yuzuru.

“I’m not old, just my race in comparison to the human race,” said Shoma.

“Wow,” said Yuzuru, stunned. “You’re amazing.” Yuzuru didn’t fail to notice the blush coloring Shoma’s cheeks.

* * *

Yuzuru grabbed his phone, he had woken up late. He knew that if he went out he wouldn’t be able to wake up on time. They had ended up staying out, even drinking a little, talking the night away. They had returned a little tipsy and both too tired to do anything.

Yuzuru turned over to be greeted by a shirtless, bed-headed Shoma still fast asleep. Yuzuru vaguely remembers inviting Shoma into his bed for cuddles, Yuzuru was a touchy drunk. He would deal with whatever he told Shoma later, he needed to get to class, now. He threw on clothes, grabbed a piece of toast, and ran out the door.

* * *

Yuzuru swore to himself, he had forgotten the USB with his presentation on it. The professor required that it be on a USB to ensure speed and minimize technology errors. He had approximately 30 minutes before class started and he wouldn’t make it home and back to campus in time. Yuzuru contemplated skipping class but that would deduct from his participation and the presentation would be a zero. “Why do you look so constipated?” asked Javier.

Yuzuru pouted, “My USB. I stupid, left at home.”

“Oh no, do you have enough time to go back and get it?”

“No. Subway take too long.”

“I can ask Miki to drive you in her car?” suggested Javier. Yuzuru questioned his pride for a moment. Did he want to have the person who was dating his former crush drive him home or suffer failing from being stubborn? He didn’t like Javier anymore, but the premise of it wounded Yuzuru’s ego. Yuzuru’s phone began to ring, he scrambled for his phone, unsure where he put it. Javier handed it to him, he had left it on the table, “Rough morning?”

Yuzuru nodded before answering the call, it was Shoma. He vaguely remembered entering his phone number into Shoma’s phone earlier in the night before he got drunk. “Yuzu I was cleaning the house and I saw what I think is a USB with a post-it note labeled ‘important’ with today’s date? Do you need it?”

“Yes! You are a genius. I really need that for today,” said Yuzuru. Yuzuru deflated, he didn’t know how Shoma could get it to him, “I just don’t know how to get it.”

“I could bring it to you,” said Shoma.

“Really?”

“Yeah, ‘teleporting’ is the correct terminology I think. I can teleport and bring it to you,” said Shoma.

“You aren’t tired from last night?”

“Teleporting doesn’t take nearly as much energy as showing you the galaxy. It’s low-level stuff,” said Shoma.

“If it isn’t too much of a bother,” said Yuzuru.

“I’ll bring you lunch too. I think I packed the leftovers into something edible? It’s a musubi with the leftover rice and meat? I added the vegetables on the side as well?”

“You’re a gift, where do you want to meet?”

“If you keep your phone location on and go somewhere isolated I can meet you there. Call me when you find somewhere safe and I’ll be there.”

“I’m going to marry you one day,” said Yuzuru.

“I’m glad that bringing you a USB and a lunch is enough for you to want to marry me,” said Shoma laughing. Yuzuru smiled at the sound of Shoma’s laughter, it made his heart swell. Yuzuru ended the call and realized Javier had heard his interaction.

“So if I understand your Japanese correctly, your boyfriend will be bringing your USB?” said Javier.

“Not boyfriend,” Yuzuru paused. He didn’t know how to describe Shoma, a temporarily lost being that could travel through space and time? Javier would think he was crazy if he told him that he met Shoma, who could technically be classified as an alien, on his balcony and decided to house him. A temporary roommate? That wasn’t exactly right, either. “A friend, stay with me for small time.”

“Is he from your hometown?”

Yuzuru frowned at that, his friends from his hometown had long ago faded. Some of them were disgusted, others scared to be associated with him, most of them stopped replying once Yuzuru left for Tokyo. “No, met here. He need place to stay.” Javier raised an eyebrow and Yuzuru could tell he didn’t buy the explanation. “I need to see him,” said Yuzuru bowing and escaping Javier’s questioning gaze.

* * *

Shoma seemingly walked out of thin air, his hair was messy and he appeared to only be wearing Yuzuru’s sweater. Yuzuru wanted to kiss Shoma for how absolutely cute he looked, he settled for fixing Shoma’s hair, “I cleaned everything up but I don’t know if I put the dishes away in the right place,” said Shoma.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to,” said Yuzuru.

“I’m your guest, of course, I should. But, I couldn’t reach where you store the pots,” said Shoma with a pout, “I’m too short and I almost lost balance trying to stand on the counter.”

“It seems like I’ll have to buy a step stool for you,” said Yuzuru.

Shoma frowned at that, “I don’t like being short.”

“I like you being short,” said Yuzuru patting Shoma’s head.

“I’m the perfect size for you to harass,” said Shoma with a slight frown.

“I think of it more as affectionate teasing,” said Yuzuru squeezing Shoma’s cheeks.

“Hmph, I think you just want an excuse to squeeze my cheeks.” Shoma shoved his hands into the oversized sweater and handed Yuzuru his USB with sweater paws.

Yuzuru giggled and accepted the USB, “You aren’t wrong. You’re fun-sized,” said Yuzuru. “Good things come in small packages.”

“English sayings?” asked Shoma, impressed.

“Don’t look impressed you speak too many languages to look impressed. Besides, my English is bad,” said Yuzuru.

“You sell yourself short,” said Javier approaching their secluded area. Shoma looked at Yuzuru, slightly distressed, unsure what exactly to do. Yuzuru suddenly vividly remembers Shoma telling him about his need to limit interactions. Yuzuru stepped in front of Shoma in a vain attempt to hide him, both of them knew it was already too late. “Is that your ‘friend’?” asked Javier, curious.

“Ah, yes. Javier this is Shoma. Uno Shoma?” said Yuzuru. Why the hell did he give Shoma a Spanish sounding last name?

“Uno-san, nice to meet you,” said Javier bowing. “Are you Spanish by any chance?” asked Javier.

“No, but I can speak some,” said Shoma, Spanish rolling off his tongue, the melodic intonation present as always. It sounded slightly more natural in Spanish. Yuzuru had no idea what he was saying.

“Your Spanish is excellent,” said Javier with a kind smile.

“Thank you, your Japanese is very good too,” said Shoma.

“Nothing in comparison to your Spanish. You’ve almost completely nailed the Castilian accent as well,” said Javier.

“That is only because I had a good teacher,” said Shoma. Yuzuru looked between the two of them, unable to understand what they were saying.

“And you must speak English if what I heard Yuzuru saying before was right,” said Javier switching to English.

“I speak a little bit of English as well,” said Shoma, he had a British accent.

“You seem to speak the most formal, correct versions of all the languages,” said Javier laughing.

“It was the way I was taught,” said Shoma laughing self-consciously.

"I think it's pretty cool," said Javier earning a smile from Shoma.

Yuzuru pouted, “Speak Japanese, I can’t understand anything you’re saying.”

“Sorry Yuzuru, I came to find you. Our class is starting soon,” said Javier slowly in English.

“Oh, thank you, I will be there in a moment,” said Yuzuru looking back at Shoma.

“I’ll meet you there," said Javier. "I hope to see you again Uno-san," said Javier waving, leaving them alone

Shoma handed Yuzuru a Winnie-the-Pooh lunch box, Yuzuru felt a pang of nostalgia, his mom used to use this lunch box. He had stored it away, unable to throw it away when he moved. He loved Pooh and the sweet memory too much. “Here’s your lunch,” said Shoma. “This was the only lunch box I could find,” said Shoma.

“Thank you Sho,” said Yuzuru, unconsciously giving Shoma a nickname. “You’ll be able to find your way home right?”

“Of course,” said Shoma.

“I’m sorry about Javier,” said Yuzuru.

“It’s okay, it couldn’t be helped.”

“Did he interrogate you?” asked Yuzuru.

“Not at all. I only had to use very basic sentences, apparently, it impressed him. But I was very nervous,” said Shoma.

"It impressed me too, you sounded cool,” said Yuzuru.

“I hope so, I was never the greatest at languages in school,” said Shoma.

"Even though you told me you have a super brain that's meant to learn languages I still think you're amazing," said Yuzuru.

Shoma blushed, he changed the subject abruptly, “I know why you had a crush on him. He’s very handsome and kind.”

The former fluttering he would feel at the mention of Javier had faded. “That was in the past. He has a nice girlfriend now,” said Yuzuru. He had the urge to let Shoma know that it was a meaningless crush.

“I’m sure he does, we can gossip later, go to class,” said Shoma.

“You’re being responsible?” asked Yuzuru. “I thought you struggled with responsibility.”

“I don’t want you to fail because of me. There would be no point for me to bring the USB if you failed, now go,” said Shoma.

“Can you tell two things before I go?”

“Sure?” said Shoma, confused.

“Are you wearing pants?” asked Yuzuru.

Shoma looked down and blushed, realizing it looked like he wasn’t wearing any bottoms. He lifted Yuzuru’s jacket to reveal shorts. “I hope you don’t mind I borrowed these,” said Shoma.

“Not at all. Second question, will you tell me what I said to you last night?” Shoma turned away from him and Yuzuru felt a building sense of worry. “You have impeccable memory right?”

Shoma turned back to face him, there was an odd mixture of embarrassment and sadness on his face. “I’ll tell you when you come home.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multilingual Shoma is a headcanon I never knew I wanted to have until now. It is a very, very unlikely headcanon, but I can dream.
> 
> I'm so so SO excited for the Yuzu and Shoma interactions to come from Heroes & Future!  
> Also so hyped for Shoma's SP.  
> I love Time After Time, he's going to grow into that program beautifully. The costumes for Great Spirit were a little...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking so dang long to update things. I swear I'm working on updating my fics.
> 
> I am also working on a little gift for everyone who's been so patient, vote for the one-shot you want me to write on my [Tumblr](https://freedom-phoenix.tumblr.com).

“Your boyfriend is quite cute,” said Javier.

“Not my boyfriend,” insisted Yuzuru. He looked around the lecture hall, worried someone would hear what Javier was saying. Even though the University was large and people could care very little about other people’s business, he didn’t want his sexuality to be revealed. He still knew that people would be too polite to say anything to his face but would talk about him behind his back, just like they did in Sendai. A part of him felt bad for insisting Shoma wasn’t his boyfriend like he was something to be ashamed of. They weren’t even dating.

“How’d he get here so fast?” asked Javier.

Yuzuru racked his brain for a reasonable excuse, “He was in the area getting some grocery shopping done.”

Javier raised an eyebrow in disbelief, he didn’t push any further making Yuzuru grateful, “I swear I saw the two of you at the grocery store near your apartment.”

“Maybe,” was all Yuzuru said with a shrug. He turned away from Javier to focus on getting his notebook ready. He stared at his things, distracted. He was worried about what he had told Shoma. He had most likely said something incredibly embarrassing.

“I’m sorry about everything,” said Javier.

“What are you apologizing about?” asked Yuzuru, turning back to face Javier. He was too tired to try and comprehend what exactly Javier was referring to.

“That I couldn’t return your feelings,” said Javier. Yuzuru looked around them once more and let out a sigh of relief that the lecture hall was still bubbling with loud conversation.

“Javi, it’s fine,” said Yuzuru.

“No, I was so rude about it,” said Javier. “I’m sure the fact I dated Miki after made it worse,” said Javier.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” said Yuzuru, “I’ve moved on.” There was something gratifying about hearing Javier acknowledge how his actions had hurt Yuzuru. But Yuzuru really had moved on. Part of it was due to his determination to move on and the other part due to time. A part of his heart would always tinge but it was nothing in comparison to his growing feelings for Shoma. He had thought that the feelings he felt for Shoma were the same as Javier, but it was different. Shoma helped him to feel like he could be himself, no pretenses. Javier had been attractive and kind, but Yuzuru always felt that he had to present himself in the best way possible. There was none of that with Shoma, he felt comfortable around him. He felt comfortable being himself.

“Okay,” said Javier, “you’ve just seemed more withdrawn and I want to make sure it’s nothing I’ve done.” 

So Javier had noticed his intentional distancing, he had done it to save his heart initially but now it was out of habit. It felt better to be a little less comfortable with him, to be a little less touchy and close. The other reason recently had been his new roommate. He was preoccupied with Shoma’s very perplexing existence. “It’s not you,” said Yuzuru.

“Well I hope it’s the nice young man who’s occupying your time now,” said Javier.

“Mhm,” uttered Yuzuru before thinking. His face turned red and he began to gesture wildly with his hands to indicate that wasn’t what he meant.

“I like him,” said Javier. “I think he’ll be good for you.”

* * *

Yuzuru’s presentation went well, his professor had liked his presentation so much he asked to keep a copy of it to use as an example. Yuzuru would have to treat Shoma to a delicious meal later. Yuzuru felt a tap on his shoulder and he came face to face with a young woman from his class. He vaguely remembered having a conversation with her about the coursework on occasion. She was kind and always eager to help him if he needed.

“Hi Yuzuru, I was wondering if you were free after class?” she asked.

“I should be, is there something wrong?” asked Yuzuru, concerned.

“I was wondering if you wanted to join our group date? We are going to karaoke and need one more person,” she offered.

“Oh, uh—” Yuzuru’s mind stalled, he didn’t know what exactly to say to this. He, on one hand, could say yes and pretend once more to be interested in women or he could say no and seem extremely rude. He really didn't want to go to karaoke and have to awkwardly socialize for two to three hours with people he'd need to avoid later. He needed an excuse, and fast.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” she said, slightly dejected.

Yuzuru’s mind searched desperately for an excuse, anything to get him out of awkward social interaction and pretending to be interested in women, “I’m kind of interested in someone right now.” Yuzuru figured it was close enough to the truth that he seemed genuine. He didn’t feel completely bad for saying no.

“Oh!” she looked ashamed and Yuzuru felt bad, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” said Yuzuru, “I’m going to head out now, have fun at karaoke,” said Yuzuru bowing awkwardly and leaving the lecture hall. He didn’t want to cook now and he knew Shoma wouldn’t want to either. Even if he didn’t like eating out much he felt like being lazy for the day, a reward for his presentation. He fished out his phone to text Shoma the location for a yakiniku restaurant he knew the young man would instantly approve of.

* * *

“So what exactly did I tell you?” asked Yuzuru as they sat, meat sizzling in front of them.

“You told me you were hurting,” said Shoma.

“What do you mean?” asked Yuzuru, trying to figure out how much he had told the younger man.

“You told me what it was like for you,” said Shoma, he paused trying to gather his thoughts. “You told me that you had come out to your parents and were kicked out as a result,” said Shoma quietly. Yuzuru appreciated Shoma had decided to speak quieter. “You told me you were ostracized, your friends didn’t want to be associated with you either.” Shoma had moved his hand to his heart, clenching the fabric there as if he could feel Yuzuru’s pain.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dump my life story on you,” said Yuzuru.

“No, I’m sorry you had to go through that,” said Shoma. He looked at Yuzuru with such genuine emotion, Yuzuru could almost feel how upset Shoma was for him. Yuzuru panicked when he saw actual tears leaving the young man’s eyes. He never expected him to cry.

“Don’t cry,” said Yuzuru, dabbing napkins under the young man’s eyes.

“I’m crying because you can’t,” said Shoma. The seriousness of Shoma’s statement hit him. He had spent so long suppressing his feelings he had become numb. He hadn’t truly felt a strong emotion in a long time. Most of his feelings muted, nothing like the way he used to feel the world in splashes of vibrant color. He had become used to the muted colors that he painted around him to make life seem okay.

“Thank you,” said Yuzuru, that’s all he could find it in himself to say. He could only thank the young man for reminding him what emotion could feel like and look like. That it was normal to feel.

Shoma nodded, “You are so lonely in such an overwhelming world,” said Shoma simply. Yuzuru nodded silently as if the young man hadn’t just struck on one of his deepest insecurities. “You also told me about Javier,” said Shoma so quietly that Yuzuru had to lean in.

“What about him?”

“How hurt you were that he had dated someone after you had confessed,” said Shoma, “and the guilt you felt for having feelings for him. The guilt of being jealous of his girlfriend.”

“Oh, I really told you my life story didn't I,” said Yuzuru laughing. Shoma looked at him, eyes wide.

 _“The world doesn’t deserve you,"_ sung Shoma under his breath.

“Please don’t look so shocked, it isn’t that bad, I’m sure people have experienced worse,” said Yuzuru.

“Even if they have, it doesn’t mean your struggle matters any less,” said Shoma. He silently removed the meat from the grill in front of him, thinking.

“I told you something else didn’t I?” asked Yuzuru. He watched curiously as Shoma’s face turned red.

“Did I say something embarrassing?” asked Yuzuru.

“Well you invited me to cuddle,” said Shoma, he paused and covered his face, “you also tried to strip me.”

Yuzuru felt his face burn up, did he just drunkenly try to have sex with Shoma. He had never done something like that before. That was really embarrassing. “Did I do anything to you?” asked Yuzuru, worried.

“Oh no, you just said you wanted to cuddle without a shirt on, I was a little tipsy too so I kind of just let you do what you wanted,” said Shoma, face red.

“Did I do anything else embarrassing?” asked Yuzuru. He watched as Shoma gave him a shy, awkward smile.

“You tried to kiss me a couple of times,” said Shoma, “and you always wanted a hug or to hold my hand.”

Yuzuru’s face scrunched up in embarrassment and he giggled awkwardly, “I’m sorry about that. I’m a bit of a touchy drunk.”

“If it makes you feel any better, nobody saw us because we were kind of drinking, alone—in the middle of the park—at night,” said Shoma.

Yuzuru giggled, “I was so worried that I had done something to you I forgot for a moment,” Yuzuru paused and lowered his voice, “of how I afraid I am to be seen sometimes.”

“I really wish it wasn’t something weird here,” said Shoma, “I would tell you not to worry. But I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”

Yuzuru nodded, “It’s not easy to be open, people here don’t really, you know—”

“I figured, I did a little research on your internet,” said Shoma.

“You know how to use the internet?” asked Yuzuru. “Of course you do.”

“It’s intuitive,” said Shoma, “a simpler version of our search portals.”

“What kind of things can you find on your search portals?” asked Yuzuru, curious.

“Almost anything,” said Shoma. “But I found out physical affection isn’t as common in Japan.”

“Mhm,” said Yuzuru, “I’m a little more touchy than most Japanese people, at least in public.”

“I can tell,” said Shoma laughing.

“Did I ever make you uncomfortable?” asked Yuzuru, concerned.

“If you did, I would have stopped you,” said Shoma.

“Thank god, I didn’t want to scare you away,” said Yuzuru.

“You like me living with you?” asked Shoma, eyes wide.

“Yeah, you make my apartment feel like home,” said Yuzuru. The words are out of his mouth before he even realized what he had said.

“Oh,” said Shoma, tilting his head to the side adorably. “I like living with you too.” Yuzuru beamed.

* * *

“Shoma did you put this dish here?” asked Yuzuru as he observed his drawers, they were relatively ordered as neatly as he would have done it himself, except for the stray dish. He was staring at the said dish that was put away oddly, it was stuck in a weird place. Shoma appeared by his side looking at the said dish.

“I couldn’t reach the proper place so I tried to stick it where I thought it belonged,” said Shoma.

“I really need to get you a stool,” said Yuzuru.

“I didn’t ask to be short,” said Shoma.

“It’s okay Shoma, you did your best,” said Yuzuru, “thank you for helping me.”

“I tried,” said Shoma. “I didn’t do the laundry because I was too confused with the different soaps.”

“You mean the fabric softener vs the detergent?” asked Yuzuru.

Shoma nodded, “I think so, I sorted the clothes by color and type like my mother taught me,” said Shoma.

“That’s good enough for me,” said Yuzuru. “It’s funny how you’re so smart but you don’t think to Google the laundry detergent or hover yourself to put away the dishes or something?”

“I told you my race was advanced, not that I had common sense,” said Shoma. Yuzuru threw his head back and laughed. Shoma laughed alongside him and a pleasant feeling spread throughout his body.

Yuzuru made his way to the living room. There was something slightly off, “Did you change something?”

“I didn’t put the pillows back or the blanket because I was sleeping on the couch before I left?”

“You fit on the couch?” asked Yuzuru, surprised.

“If I scrunch up a bit, I do,” said Shoma. “I can fix it now,” said Shoma moving to tidy the couch.

“No, no, it’s fine,” said Yuzuru. “I like it, it looks more lived in,” said Yuzuru laughing. It was so odd that his apartment had to be messy to feel at home. Yuzuru spotted his Switch and the rest of his games put away. They were ordered a little differently and looked like they were shoved away. He giggled to himself.

“Did I do something bad?” asked Shoma. “Did I make you go crazy because I’m messy?”

“You’re silly,” said Yuzuru, “of course not. It’s just so interesting to see my apartment lived in.”

“Oh,” said Shoma breathing out a sigh of relief.

“Let’s play something together,” said Yuzuru.

“Are you sure?” asked Shoma. “You don’t want to study or something?”

“Don’t worry, I can do that later, I feel like having fun with you,” said Yuzuru. He felt genuinely happy today.

“Mario Kart?” asked Shoma already selecting the game.

“Why would you even bother to ask if you’re going to choose?” asked Yuzuru, teasingly.

“I’m pretending to be nice before I kick your butt,” said Shoma.

“Don’t get so cocky,” said Yuzuru.

“This is probably the only game you have some chance at beating me at,” said Shoma.

“Why are you so confident?” asked Yuzuru.

“Because I played this solo and unlocked more courses for you,” said Shoma. “I also beat all your high scores.”

“If I beat you,” said Yuzuru, pausing to think, “you have to do something for me.”

“Fine, if I win you have to agree to meet someone I made friends with,” said Shoma.

“You made friends with someone?” asked Yuzuru.

“I made friends with the part-timer at the convenience store. He goes to your University,” said Shoma. Yuzuru had the sinking suspicion Shoma was trying to hook him with up. “He seems like he’d be a good friend. And he’s pretty open to people like us. I somehow got him to tell me he’s aro,” said Shoma.

“I feel like you get a lot of people to tell you things,” said Yuzuru. “Also what is aro?”

“Maybe because of my cute face?” said Shoma cheekily. “Aromantic, don’t feel romantic attraction,” said Shoma as he selected Bowser.

“Are you trying to compensate for something?” asked Yuzuru as he selected Baby Peach.

“I’m here to win,” said Shoma. “Oh look, you know that Baby Peach is fast,” said Shoma.

“You ready to have your ass handed to you?” asked Yuzuru.

“We’ll see,” said Shoma.

“Wait, does that mean you have to wipe his memory?” asked Yuzuru.

“Unfortunately, along with your friend Javier,” said Shoma. “Maybe we can throw a party in your apartment before I leave and I can do it all at once.” The thought of Shoma leaving and the memory of him disappearing as well leaves a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Let me choose the course,” said Yuzuru.

“Sure, I don’t think it’ll make that much of a difference,” said Shoma.

“I’ll have you know I’m pretty good at Rainbow Road,” said Yuzuru.

“If you say so,” said Shoma, giggling.

* * *

“Why did she do that?” asked Yuzuru as he sat curled up under a blanket next to Shoma. They had shifted from playing Mario Kart to watching a horror movie after Yuzuru lost badly. Yuzuru had demanded three rematches before he gave up and complied with Shoma’s request.

They had both chosen to watch the horror movie Yuzuru had recorded on his TV a while back. He had recorded it randomly with the intention of watching it as entertainment for one of his numerous sleepless nights. They were both completely unimpressed with the movie. Shoma had spent half the time making snarky comments about how inaccurate the movie was and the other half sipping at his large mug of warm milk and honey, snacking on popcorn. Yuzuru had laughed along, made silly faces at the poor jump scares, and spent some time trying to toss popcorn into Shoma’s mouth.

When Yuzuru didn’t hear a response to his question he looked over and realized Shoma had fallen asleep. The weight of Shoma leaning against him had become comfortable. It was almost like the young man had always been part of his life.

* * *

“This is my friend Yuzuru, the one I was telling you about,” said Shoma. “This is Keiji-kun, he’s super nice,” Yuzuru observed Keiji from across the table, Shoma had managed to match both of their schedules so they could eat lunch together. Keiji looked friendly.

“Nice to meet you Keiji-kun, Shoma told me we’re in the same year. I hope we get along well,” said Yuzuru.

“Likewise, it's nice to finally meet you,” said Keiji.

“What is your major?” asked Yuzuru.

“Business administration,” said Keiji.

“Oh, that’s cool, I’m in human sciences,” said Yuzuru. The conversation stalled for a second, both of them confused as to why Shoma had them meet. They didn’t dislike each other but it didn’t seem like they shared a lot in common.

“Keiji-kun, tell Yuzuru about the club you have,” said Shoma.

“Club?” asked Yuzuru, looking at Shoma for clarification.

“Oh,” said Keiji, realizing why Shoma had them meet. “It’s not really a club, more like a group of people who hang out,” said Keiji. “We’re all a little different,” said Keiji.

“What do you mean by different?” asked Yuzuru.

“We’re queer and proud,” said Keiji simply. There was something refreshing about someone being upfront and out. “Shoma was really interested in the club but he can’t join formally because he doesn’t go to our school. So he suggested you join so he could come to the group events as your guest. It’s okay if you aren’t queer, we have some other people who aren’t queer who come to the club to show support,” said Keiji.

Yuzuru was surprised Shoma had crafted such an elaborate excuse to help him find more people like him. It was touching, Shoma hadn’t tried to out him any way. He looked over at the said man who was focused on sipping his drink, eyes a little unfocused. Shoma was lost in his thoughts again, listening but not quite present in the moment. Yuzuru squeezed Shoma’s thigh discreetly as a sign of thanks. The young man looked at him in slight confusion.

“I’d love to join,” said Yuzuru, “I’m actually gay.” Yuzuru didn’t know what compelled him to share that, but it felt right. He had some courage in him. He saw Shoma’s eyes widen out of the corner of his eyes and then crinkle as he smiled warmly.

“Cool, you’ll fit right in,” said Keiji. “You should come to our meeting next week,” said Keiji.


End file.
